Mischief night
Encyclopedia
Mischief Night is an annual tradition in parts of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada
, and the United States when people (primarily teenagers and preteen
s) take a degree of license to play pranks
and do mischief in their neighbourhoods. The most common date for Mischief Night in North America
is October 30, the day before Halloween
. However, the traditional British Mischief Night is November 4, the night before Bonfire Night
, as this was the night Guy Fawkes
was in 1605 caught trying to blow up the House of Lords
. Devil's Night
can have a slightly different meaning and refer specifically to the serious vandalism and arson experienced in Detroit, Michigan
during the late 1980s.
Mischief Night was moved to 4 November, the night before Guy Fawkes Night
. In Germany, Mischief Night still is celebrated the night before 1 May. According to one historian "May Day and the Green Man had little resonance for children in grimy cities. They looked at the opposite end of the year and found the ideal time, the night before the gunpowder plot."
and Somerset County
it is called "Mischief Night". In some towns in Passaic County, Bergen County
, Morris County
, Sussex County
, and parts of New York State, it is known as "Goosey Night". In South Jersey
and the Philadelphia
region (as well as Westchester County in New York
and Fairfield County in Connecticut
), October 30 is referred to as "Mischief Night," where mischievous teens rub soap bars on car windows, throw eggs at houses, adorn trees with toilet paper, and run away after ringing doorbells. In some areas of Queens, New York, Cabbage Night involved throwing rotten fruit at various neighbors, cars, and buses. Pre-teens and teens would fill eggs with Neet and Nair and throw them at unsuspecting individuals. In the mid-1980s garbage was set on fire and cemeteries were set ablaze. In Camden, New Jersey
, Mischief Night had escalated to the point where widespread arson
s were committed in the 1990s. Over 130 arsons were committed in that city on the night of October 30, 1991.
It is known as "Gate Night" in Trail, British Columbia
, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thunder Bay, Ontario
, Nanuet, NY, New City, NY, Valley Cottage, NY, North Dakota and South Dakota (USA) and as "Mat Night" in Quebec
(Unconfirmed, See "The Basketball Jones"), Canada
, always on the 30 October, the eve of Halloween
. It is also commonly known as "Devil's Night" in many places throughout Canada
and western Pennsylvania
.
It is also known in Yorkshire
as "Mischievous Night", "Miggy Night", "Tick-Tack Night", "Corn Night", "Trick Night" and "Micky Night" and is celebrated on November 4. In Liverpool
, it is known as "Mizzy Night" and is celebrated on October 30.
Popular tricks include toilet papering
yards and buildings, powder-bombing and egging
cars, people, and homes, using soap to write on windows, "forking" yards, setting off consumer fireworks
, and smashing pumpkins and jack-o'-lantern
s. Local grocery stores often refuse to sell eggs to pre-teens and teens around the time of Halloween for this reason. Occasionally though, the damage can include the more serious spray-painting
of buildings and homes.
Less destructive is the ever-popular "Ding-Dong Ditch". in this 'game' people ring doorbells or knock on doors, and then run and hide somewhere nearby. Areas known to use this term include suburban Chicago, Northern New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont. "Knick knock" or "Knicker-knocking" is commonly used in the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania and "Knock n' Run" and "Knock Knock, Zoom Zoom" is commonly used in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area as well as in Liverpool, England. "Ring and Run" is also commonly used in northern New Jersey and New York. This game is known as Nicky-Nicky Nine Doors in Southern Ontario or Knock, Knock, Ginger
throughout eastern Canada
. A similar name exists in North East England
, where it is known as Knicky-Knocky-Nine Doors. In Northern England the game is known by a number of names which vary by area, such as "knock and nash" and "bobby knocking", and often involves the joint pursuit of "hedge hopping", whereby the pranksters will jump from garden to garden, knocking on each door in turn before making a get-a-way to avoid being seen. In Scotland it is known as "Chapdoor Runaway" or even just "Chappy". In northern Lancashire it is known as Knock-a-door run. One variation on "Ding-Dong Ditch" involves pranksters inserting a pin into a doorbell so that it rings continuously. Also known in London.UK as "Knock down ginger".
Among younger children, the practice of trick-or-treating
on Halloween night itself traditionally carried the implied threat of minor pranks (or "tricks") in the absence of the requested "treats"; in modern times, however, this threat is rarely if ever acted upon.
, which was particularly hard-hit by Devil's Night
arson and vandalism throughout the 1980s, many citizens take it upon themselves to patrol the streets to deter arsonists and those who may break the law. This is known as "Angels' Night." Some 40,000 volunteer citizens patrol the city on Angels' Night, which usually runs October 29 through October 31, around the time most Halloween
festivities are taking place.
; Connecticut
; Upstate New York
; Newport, Rhode Island
; Bergen County, New Jersey
; and Boston, Massachusetts.
In Berkshire County, Massachusetts
the night was commonly referred to as "Cabbage stalk night" from the 1970s through the '90s.
In rural Niagara Falls, Ontario
during the 1950s and '60s, Cabbage Night referred to the custom of raiding local gardens for leftover rotting cabbages & hurling them about to create mischief in the neighbourhood.
, is based on events surrounding this night in Leeds
, UK
.
In Lark Rise to Candleford
volume 3 there is an episode featuring Mischief Night.
In the 1994
film The Crow
, based upon comic book of the same name
, the protagonist, Eric Draven, and his fiancée are murdered on the eve of their Halloween wedding on "Devil's Night" by a street gang on the orders of Detroit's most notorious crime lord, Top Dollar. With the help of a mystical crow, Eric returns from the grave on "Devil's Night" exactly one year later to exact revenge against the crime lord and his henchmen.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the United States when people (primarily teenagers and preteen
Preteen
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following early childhood and prior to adolescence. It may be defined as ending with the beginning of puberty or with the beginning of the teenage stage, the time frames in which adolescence is considered to begin. In terms of age in years,...
s) take a degree of license to play pranks
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
and do mischief in their neighbourhoods. The most common date for Mischief Night in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
is October 30, the day before Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
. However, the traditional British Mischief Night is November 4, the night before Bonfire Night
Bonfire Night
Bonfire Night may refer to:* Bonfire Night, several traditions of bonfire celebrations* Guy Fawkes Night, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth nations * St John's Eve, in Ireland and Scandinavia...
, as this was the night Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
was in 1605 caught trying to blow up the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. Devil's Night
Devil's Night
Devil's Night or Hell Night ' is a name associated with October 30th, the night before Halloween. It is related to the "Mischief night" practiced in other parts of the United States and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan from the...
can have a slightly different meaning and refer specifically to the serious vandalism and arson experienced in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
during the late 1980s.
History
The earliest reference to the night is from 1790 when fellows of St John's College, Oxford, studied a headmaster who had encouraged a school play which ended in "an Ode to Fun which praises children's tricks on Mischief Night in most approving terms". The pranks were originally carried as part of the May Day celebrations, but as workers moved into urban areas during the industrial revolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
Mischief Night was moved to 4 November, the night before Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
. In Germany, Mischief Night still is celebrated the night before 1 May. According to one historian "May Day and the Green Man had little resonance for children in grimy cities. They looked at the opposite end of the year and found the ideal time, the night before the gunpowder plot."
Contemporary practice
The separation of Halloween tricks from treats seems to have only developed sporadically, often appearing in some areas but not at all in others nearby. In Northern New Jersey's Passaic CountyPassaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
and Somerset County
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
it is called "Mischief Night". In some towns in Passaic County, Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
, and parts of New York State, it is known as "Goosey Night". In South Jersey
South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation is a colloquial one, reflecting not only geographical but perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state, with no official...
and the Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
region (as well as Westchester County in New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
and Fairfield County in Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
), October 30 is referred to as "Mischief Night," where mischievous teens rub soap bars on car windows, throw eggs at houses, adorn trees with toilet paper, and run away after ringing doorbells. In some areas of Queens, New York, Cabbage Night involved throwing rotten fruit at various neighbors, cars, and buses. Pre-teens and teens would fill eggs with Neet and Nair and throw them at unsuspecting individuals. In the mid-1980s garbage was set on fire and cemeteries were set ablaze. In Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, Mischief Night had escalated to the point where widespread arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
s were committed in the 1990s. Over 130 arsons were committed in that city on the night of October 30, 1991.
It is known as "Gate Night" in Trail, British Columbia
Trail, British Columbia
Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:Trail has an area of . The city is located on both banks of the Columbia River, approximately 10 km north of the United States border. This section of the Columbia River valley is located between the...
, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario, and the second most populous in Northern Ontario after Greater Sudbury...
, Nanuet, NY, New City, NY, Valley Cottage, NY, North Dakota and South Dakota (USA) and as "Mat Night" in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
(Unconfirmed, See "The Basketball Jones"), Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, always on the 30 October, the eve of Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
. It is also commonly known as "Devil's Night" in many places throughout Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
It is also known in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
as "Mischievous Night", "Miggy Night", "Tick-Tack Night", "Corn Night", "Trick Night" and "Micky Night" and is celebrated on November 4. In Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, it is known as "Mizzy Night" and is celebrated on October 30.
Popular tricks include toilet papering
Toilet papering
Toilet papering is the act of covering an object, such as a tree, house, or another structure with toilet paper. This is typically done by throwing numerous toilet paper rolls in such a way that they unroll in mid-air and thus fall on the targeted object in multiple streams...
yards and buildings, powder-bombing and egging
Egging
Egging refers to the act of throwing eggs at houses, cars, or people. Egging is a criminal offence in most areas. The eggs are usually raw, but are sometimes hard-boiled or expired. This can be considered vandalism....
cars, people, and homes, using soap to write on windows, "forking" yards, setting off consumer fireworks
Consumer fireworks
Consumer fireworks are fireworks sold to the general public for use. They are generally weaker in explosive power compared to professional displays.- Examples of consumer fireworks :...
, and smashing pumpkins and jack-o'-lantern
Jack-o'-lantern
A jack-o'-lantern is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday of Halloween and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern...
s. Local grocery stores often refuse to sell eggs to pre-teens and teens around the time of Halloween for this reason. Occasionally though, the damage can include the more serious spray-painting
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
of buildings and homes.
Less destructive is the ever-popular "Ding-Dong Ditch". in this 'game' people ring doorbells or knock on doors, and then run and hide somewhere nearby. Areas known to use this term include suburban Chicago, Northern New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont. "Knick knock" or "Knicker-knocking" is commonly used in the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania and "Knock n' Run" and "Knock Knock, Zoom Zoom" is commonly used in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area as well as in Liverpool, England. "Ring and Run" is also commonly used in northern New Jersey and New York. This game is known as Nicky-Nicky Nine Doors in Southern Ontario or Knock, Knock, Ginger
Knock, Knock, Ginger
Knock, Knock, Ginger or Knocky Door Ginger were the names for the game dating back to 19th century England or possibly before to the Cornish traditional holiday of Nickanan Night. This game or prank is played by children in many cultures. It involves knocking on the front door of a victim, then...
throughout eastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. A similar name exists in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, where it is known as Knicky-Knocky-Nine Doors. In Northern England the game is known by a number of names which vary by area, such as "knock and nash" and "bobby knocking", and often involves the joint pursuit of "hedge hopping", whereby the pranksters will jump from garden to garden, knocking on each door in turn before making a get-a-way to avoid being seen. In Scotland it is known as "Chapdoor Runaway" or even just "Chappy". In northern Lancashire it is known as Knock-a-door run. One variation on "Ding-Dong Ditch" involves pranksters inserting a pin into a doorbell so that it rings continuously. Also known in London.UK as "Knock down ginger".
Among younger children, the practice of trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating or "Guising", is a customary practice for children on Halloween in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy with the question "Trick or treat?"...
on Halloween night itself traditionally carried the implied threat of minor pranks (or "tricks") in the absence of the requested "treats"; in modern times, however, this threat is rarely if ever acted upon.
Angels' Night
In Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, which was particularly hard-hit by Devil's Night
Devil's Night
Devil's Night or Hell Night ' is a name associated with October 30th, the night before Halloween. It is related to the "Mischief night" practiced in other parts of the United States and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan from the...
arson and vandalism throughout the 1980s, many citizens take it upon themselves to patrol the streets to deter arsonists and those who may break the law. This is known as "Angels' Night." Some 40,000 volunteer citizens patrol the city on Angels' Night, which usually runs October 29 through October 31, around the time most Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
festivities are taking place.
Cabbage Night
The night is commonly known as "Cabbage Night" in parts of VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
; Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
; Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
; Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
; Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
; and Boston, Massachusetts.
In Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
the night was commonly referred to as "Cabbage stalk night" from the 1970s through the '90s.
In rural Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
during the 1950s and '60s, Cabbage Night referred to the custom of raiding local gardens for leftover rotting cabbages & hurling them about to create mischief in the neighbourhood.
Media
A 2006 film, Mischief NightMischief night (film)
Mischief Nights is a British comedy film released in 2006. It is the third installment of the Tina Trilogy following on from Tina Goes Shopping and Tina Takes a Break . However, unlike the previous two Channel 4 films Mischief Night broadens its scope to consider the wider community that Tina...
, is based on events surrounding this night in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In Lark Rise to Candleford
Lark Rise to Candleford
Lark Rise to Candleford is a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England, at the end of the 19th century. They were written by Flora Thompson and first published together in 1945...
volume 3 there is an episode featuring Mischief Night.
In the 1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
film The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
, based upon comic book of the same name
The Crow
The Crow is a comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a drunk driver. It was later published by Caliber Comics in 1989, becoming an underground success, and later adapted into a...
, the protagonist, Eric Draven, and his fiancée are murdered on the eve of their Halloween wedding on "Devil's Night" by a street gang on the orders of Detroit's most notorious crime lord, Top Dollar. With the help of a mystical crow, Eric returns from the grave on "Devil's Night" exactly one year later to exact revenge against the crime lord and his henchmen.
External links
- Confessions from a Mischief Night brat BBC Yorkshire report — November 2006
- Police Patrol for Mischief Night BBC Merseyside report — November 2006
- Dialect Survey Results US terms;prevalence and distribution